JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
322 
[ April 20, 1882. 
before planting it will be deeply stirred again and a rich dress¬ 
ing mixed in where each plant is to be placed. The planting 
takes longer in this way, but we not only obtain the flowers 
better, but also in dry weather less water is required—an im¬ 
portant matter with us. The plants will be protected in cold 
weather ; a pot placed over each is a very efficient protector either 
from sun or frost.” 
- Those of our readers who derive recreation from fishing 
will find “ Davies’ Handbook to the Rivers and Broads op 
Norfolk and Suffolk ” acceptable. It will be published next 
week by Jarrold k Sons, 3, Paternoster Buildingp, London. It 
gives a description of many inland waters, the beauties of which 
are not unknown to the great majority of tourists, and is accom¬ 
panied by an excellent map of the rivers and broads of Norfolk 
and Suffolk. 
- We regret to record the sudden death of the Rev. John G. 
Nelson of Aldborough Rectory, Norwich, who last Friday morning 
fainted, fell, and expired. He was the son of the Rev. Mr. Nelson 
who raised Phlox Nelsoni, and he also, following his father, raised 
a number of new dwarf Phloxes, which he handed to Mr. Ware, 
and they are recorded in his catalogue. He worked with Mr. Barr 
in arranging the new Daffodils, and has raised several valuable new 
varieties. Mr. Nelson never made a penny from his raising of new 
plants. His grand achievement (Lachenalia Nelsoni) he distri¬ 
buted amongst his friends with a free hand. Mr. Nelson’s retiring 
disposition kept him, as it were, apart from the outer world. His 
love of plants from infancy was so strong he resolved to be a nur¬ 
seryman, and went to the Clapton Nursery, where he remained till 
he felt commerce was not his vocation, and he entered the Church 
instead, but continued the pursuit of his first love. He enjoyed 
the esteem of all who knew him, and his loss will be mourned 
and his memory cherished by hosts of friends. 
-We are informed that the Oxford Rose Society will 
hold its thirty-first annual Exhibition in the “ Lime Tree Walk,’’ 
Trinity College Gardens, on Thursday, July 6th. 
-Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux, k Cie. of Paris have an¬ 
nounced the distribution of seeds of a new tuberous-rooted 
Vine from Cochin China, which is said to be absolutely similar to 
the tuberous-rooted Vine of the Soudan, mentioned by the late 
M. Ldcard in his journey in the centre of Africa. Messrs. Vilmorin 
state that very probably they both belong to the same genus bota- 
nically, and that as Cochin China is more accessible than the 
Soudan, they are convinced that, if the attempts which are being 
made in Europe justify the hopes which have been formed on 
tuberous-rooted Vines, it will be easy to procure rapidly and 
cheaply a sufficient quantity of seed to enable it to be extensively 
cultivated in France. 
- The Chiswick Horticultural Society’s Summer 
Exhibition will be held in the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
gardens at Chiswick on Thursday, June 22nd, when numerous 
prizes will be offered for plants, cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables. 
Special prizes are also liberally contributed by friends of the 
Society, especially by the following :—The Marquis of Bute for a 
box of York-and-Lancaster Roses ; Mr. James Aldous for stands 
of cut flowers ; Messrs. Fromow k Sons for Ferns ; Sutton and 
Sons for vegetables, and Carter & Co. for Peas; C. Bown, Esq., 
B. Hardy, Esq,, and J. Starling, Esq., also offering prizes for 
plants and flowers. From the Society’s financial report we learn 
that the receipts were £260 3s. 3d., leaving a balance to the 
Society’s credit of £36 5s. 8t£. 
- We are always glad to see efforts made with the object 
of popularising horticulture, and hence notice an influ¬ 
ential meeting held last week at Somerby, near Grantham, for 
forming another horticultural society in that district, not antago¬ 
nistic to, but rather as an adjunct of the Grantham Society, that 
has done such good work in distributing fruit trees and seeds in 
the locality, a practice that is most commendable, and might be 
more generally adopted with great advantage. The Chairman 
of the meeting, the Rev. W. Nash, stated “ he was there that 
evening partly in fulfilment of his duty as Rector ; but, he 
hoped, principally because he thoroughly believed the work 
they were about to inaugurate was one that would be pro¬ 
ductive of much good amongst the working classes, and give 
them in their spare hours an opportunity of cultivating a deep 
interest in God's works, the beauty of which was most forcibly 
felt in the culture of flowers and fruit.” There are many other 
clergymen willing to aid in such worthy objects, but not all 
districts are fortunate in having a gardener so skilled and so 
intelligent as Mr. Mann to take the practical management of 
these local organisations. 
- At Penzance, April 13th, Mr. C. C. Ross, M.P., presided 
over a large number of market gardeners and buyers and others 
interested in the carriage of garden produce to the north 
OF England, to hear from Mr. Stevens (of the firm of Marshall, 
Stevens, & Co. of Liverpool) detads of his proposal of carriage 
by steamers from Penzance to Garston Dock, and thence, via 
London and North-Western Railway, to all markets north of Bir¬ 
mingham. Mr. Stevens stated that he was prepared to run three 
or four steamers a week from Penzance to Garston during the 
season, the rates to be not more than from Jersey, and at least 
10.?. a ton less than the railway at present charge. A resolution 
pledging support to the scheme was unanimously carried. In pro¬ 
posing a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, Sir John St. 
Aubyn, M.P., said the railway interest in the House of Commons 
had increased, and was increasing, and ought to be diminished. 
Those who bad experience of railways knew that unless there was 
opposition they would never reduce their rates or give the public 
accommodation. The market gardeners were perfectly justified 
in the action they had taken. 
- A “ Nor’-Easter” writes:—“We are removing hardy 
plants from brick frames as rapidly as possible, to be immediately 
filled with bedding plants. The early cuttings were placed 
in the propagating bed and transferred to boxes when well 
rooted; another batch, inserted thickly in boxes the third week 
of March, will be transferred as rooted cuttings to these brick 
frames, but they are kept in cool quarters for a week or so before 
being disturbed. The compost we use is one part of Mushroom- 
bed manure to three of loam spread 3 inches deep over the bottom 
of the frame. The frames are kept closed for ten days or so, and 
in cold weather are covered with mats at night and day. When 
the time for planting arrives we have large, healthy, well-rooted 
plants, prepared at the very least amount of trouble consistent 
with good results. Pelargoniums are grown in pots, some as large 
as 5 inches in diameter. I find a large well-grown plant pays 
better than half a dozen starvelings, which require six weeks at 
least before suitable for placing out.” 
- Mr. Peter Henderson writes as follows in the “ American 
Gardener’s Monthly ” on the “ Rose-growing craze : ”— 
“ Many persons are unconscious of the extent to which the culture of 
Roses is extending in and around our large cities. In consequence of 
the extraordinary prices obtained for Rose buds during the past two 
or three years not only have the regular florists used their large profits 
in extending their greenhouse structures for that purpose, but the 
fabulous reports of the profits of Rose-growing has excited the cupidity 
of many capitalists in the vicinity of New York, Boston, and Chicago. 
These men have an abundance of means, and begin on a scale usually 
at which the ordinary florist, who had to climb his way up, ends ; so 
that we have already in the vicinity of New York at least a dozen 
establishments for the forcing of Rose buds in winter, owned by men 
who count their capital by millions. These gentlemen, of course, 
know nothing practically about the business, relyi ig altogether upon 
their gardeners for success—for who ever heard of a millionaire florist ? 
Whether they do succeed or not in making a profit of a few thousand 
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